Level 343

[VGailP]

I am stuck on 343. If I even get close I always end up dropping one if not two of my star bubbles :-(
I can't seem to be able to figure out how not to drop them lol. Any tips/help please? Thanks!

[kristanlh]

My tips for Level 343:

- Get through the first section as efficiently as possible, so that you have more bubbles to use in the top section. This means trying to use either red or blue for most of the ice bubbles, so that you can eliminate the other three colors (yellow, green, and either red or blue) from rotation.

- Also remember that you just need to open the lock to get to the next section, which you might be able to do via a bounce shot, even without dropping all the other steel bubbles.

- In the top section, pay attention to what the color changing combos are. (You can actually do this before you even open the top section.) You may have to "waste" shots in order to avoid popping all of the bubbles around a star bubble. (This is why using fewer bubbles in the first section will come in handy.) You NEED all 3 star bubbles to save the babies. (Unless you are using boosts, I guess.)

- As always, remember that this game is not timed. Patiently strategize each shot if needed. The babies and bubbles aren't going anywhere.

[VGailP]

I am with you all the way up to the end and needing all 3 stars to save the babies,lol. That is where I keep messing up somehow. Still trying. Thanks!

[Lincstrake]

Here are some tips for avoiding dropping star bubbles:

Note that each of the three star bubbles is surrounded by a set of three like-colored switching bubbles and a set of three like-colored non-switching bubbles. Furthermore, on every other turn, the switching bubbles change to a color that matches the non-switching bubbles, such that all the bubbles surrounding a star are the same color. (However, the step on which this occurs is different for different star bubbles; i.e., the three star bubbles are not all in sync with each other in this regard.) If you pop any of the bubbles surrounding a star at a time when all the surrounding bubbles are of the same color, then the star bubble will lose all its supports, and will drop and be lost. What you should try to do, then, for each star, is to pop the lower set of three bubbles on a turn when they are a different color from the upper set of three bubbles. If you do this, the star bubble will stay anchored in place and can then be hit on a later turn. Note that the switching bubbles are located above the star bubbles on the left, and below the star bubble on the right. Regardless of that, though, the principle doesn’t change: you need to pop bubbles on a turn when they are not all the same color, in order to avoid dropping a star bubble. Because the number of bubbles in this level is limited, it is best to memorize the switching order of all three sets of switching bubbles, and to think before each throw to make sure you have anticipated any undesirable side effects.